Michael. 2313 Report post Posted February 4, 2019 Hey lads, where have people been getting quality wheel alignment jobs done in the Auckland region in recent times? Particularly from places where service personnel know what they are doing and it isn't just delegated to some lacky... Thanks in advance! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KillerX 40 Report post Posted February 4, 2019 +1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 4, 2019 Racelign Workshop https://www.autolign.co.nz/profile/website/view/accountId/14978 And no looking back, they're awesome. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BreakMyWindow 1874 Report post Posted February 4, 2019 Bmworkshop greylynn are good too. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael. 2313 Report post Posted February 4, 2019 10 hours ago, M3AN said: Racelign Workshop https://www.autolign.co.nz/profile/website/view/accountId/14978 And no looking back, they're awesome. Sweet. Gonna give them a go today! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted February 4, 2019 report back Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael. 2313 Report post Posted February 5, 2019 20 hours ago, M3AN said: Racelign Workshop https://www.autolign.co.nz/profile/website/view/accountId/14978 And no looking back, they're awesome. Awesome place, Allan the service guy did an excellent job, perfect alignment settings, straight steering wheel and drives superbly. Only took about 45 mins No doubt it helped having new bushes and such on the car but they did the job anyone that cares about their car would appreciate. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 5, 2019 Great, I'm glad you had a similar positive experience to me. When I took the 328 (with M3 suspension) in they couldn't get the camber I requested, needed longer bolts and shims. They did the best they could (and actually aligned) and said pop back in when you get new bolts... and left it at that, didn't charge me so I expected a larger bill when I returned. Not so, they only charged me for one alignment (plus the cost of the shims) even though I took up ramp and technician time twice. I asked about it, not wanting to rip them off and they said they prefer to provide results, not just service! They instantly created a repeat customer that's happy to refer others. A few members here go there actually. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1162 Report post Posted February 5, 2019 Autolign are awesome. They really know their stuff. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sammo 2544 Report post Posted April 6, 2021 Booked in at Autoalign for the 19th as I'll be changing my Tierods the weekend before. I am a bit of an alignment newb - any thoughts on special requests for toe etc? I wouldn't mind a bit sharper turn in but not really wanting to lose much motorway stability. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted April 6, 2021 (edited) 34 minutes ago, Sammo said: I wouldn't mind a bit sharper turn in but not really wanting to lose much motorway stability. A small amount of toe out at the front for turn-in, stability compensation provided by a comparable (50%-100%) amount of toe-in at the rear. We're talking tiny margins here, ~0.6mm front and ~0.4mm rear. Edit: this will result in a marginal increase of on-the-limit mid-corner understeer, hardly a problem in most circumstances. Edited April 6, 2021 by M3AN 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted April 6, 2021 1 hour ago, 3pedals said: Oh gasp, bad advice again. Toe setting is linked to caster, SAI , the chassis and tyre sizes not something that you should set randomly because you read about it on the web. It needs to be in context . Sam can talk to the experts at Autolign about my advice, that's where I got it from after all, and it's proven to be spot on. Those exact (not random) settings work fine on an E36 and an E87 with different geometries, if they're not suitable for an E46 then the guys at Autolign will point that out. If you know better then do your theoretical calculations and throw down some numbers, otherwise you're not really helping to progress the discussion. FWIW @Sammo I had 3 different alignments on my M3, OEM settings (toe in F/R), 0 toe F/R, and then finally toe out (F) and toe in (R) and the differences were appreciable. I also have perfectly normal tyre wear with the suggestion I made above. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m325i 709 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 On 2/4/2019 at 9:31 PM, BreakMyWindow said: Bmworkshop greylynn are good too. Took mine there today - reckon their machine is broken. Annoying. Any city / CBD recommendations? (they tried to suggest Giltrap Toyota?). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m325i 709 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 The BMW dealer good? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnM575 112 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 28 minutes ago, m325i said: The BMW dealer good? I recommend Peter Burke at East Auckland BMW - I know you're looking for someone central, but he's a bit of a guru with E46 M3's. Plenty of motorsport experience also (including with the E46 platform). 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m325i 709 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 Thanks - pretty hard for me to get there unfortunately. Just after a solid alignment for daily use to suit Koni/Eibach. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NZ BMW 368 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 40 minutes ago, JohnM575 said: I recommend Peter Burke at East Auckland BMW - I know you're looking for someone central, but he's a bit of a guru with E46 M3's. Plenty of motorsport experience also (including with the E46 platform). I’ll ask the silly question - don’t you just dial in to what the software tells you the car should be? Or is there a lot more to it than that? I’ve had my F30 done at Auckland City BMW and it seemed fine…. To be at least which is probably not a good test! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m325i 709 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 You'd think so, but I have had multiple crap ones - bad tyre wear, not straight wheel, bad feel etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sammo 2544 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 2 hours ago, m325i said: Took mine there today - reckon their machine is broken. Annoying. Any city / CBD recommendations? (they tried to suggest Giltrap Toyota?). Their machine has been broken since Covid apparently. I went to Autoalign / RaceAlign in Mt Wellington a few months back, on the advise of many here - very quick and only $80 plus GST Only comment is my front toe had a fair variance (Left 0.9mm / Right 0.3mm with brand new Tierods) but car seems pretty good? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 1 minute ago, Sammo said: Only comment is my front toe had a fair variance (Left 0.9mm / Right 0.3mm with brand new Tierods) but car seems pretty good? How close to 0 degrees is the thrust angle? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sammo 2544 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 17 minutes ago, M3AN said: How close to 0 degrees is the thrust angle? Max Thrust angle = -0.02' ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 3 minutes ago, Sammo said: Max Thrust angle = -0.02' ? Then don't worry too much about the front 0.6mm toe variance (which, let's be honest is a pretty small margin), car and wheels are going straight. Proper alignment shops, such as RaceAlign, will prioritise thrust angle over individual wheel toe values. Quote A thrust angle alignment attends to the procedure that is covered in a front end alignment, but it also ensures that all four wheels are squared. A thrust angle alignment is recommended for vehicles that have independent rear suspensions. If any of the wheels have incorrect toe, or if your vehicle handles differently when turning in one direction versus the other, then a thrust angle alignment will likely solve the problem. This alignment yields a better result in tire wear, fuel economy, and safety. https://townfairtire.com/information/wheel-alignment/different-types-of-wheel-alignments/index.shtml 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 Is the guy from Mitsubishi new market still around? I can’t remember the name but I remember there was an expert there a few years ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted July 26, 2021 1 hour ago, qube said: Is the guy from Mitsubishi new market still around? I can’t remember the name but I remember there was an expert there a few years ago. No, since moved on (a few years back), not sure where he went or what he's doing now. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HalfJobHarry 106 Report post Posted February 7, 2022 Are we still giving the nod to race align? Have the M3 front arms on now and need a full align by some proper pros. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
